Although seaweed farming helps the environment, climate change itself may present barriers to growing more of it. Ocean water is becoming increasingly acidic, which is not ideal for growing healthy, edible seaweed, the authors say.
Additionally, seaweed’s primary value as an export would be for its extracts as ingredients, rather than as a sea vegetable to be eaten whole, according to the study. And while countries with higher average incomes that produce and export brown, green, and red seaweeds in large quantities already have the infrastructure needed to effectively process, test, and regulate what may eventually land on consumers’ plates, most Low and Middle Income Countires (LMICs) do not.
Research into processing bottlenecks is limited, and what little data exists on factors such as consumer patterns are the property of the food companies that collect it, Webb says, which means governments and entrepreneurs in many LMICs have had few resources or incentives to invest in aquatic plant farming.
Focus on 'from-farm-to-fork'
“The steps taken between the farm and the fork, that’s what we need to focus on,” Webb says. “We need to work more closely with governments and the private sector to figure out where the bottlenecks are and how to overcome them.”
The seaweed aquaculture industry has flourished in Indonesia, where seasonal labor is steadily available and farms can achieve industrial-level economies of scale (in contrast to the family-run farms of, for example, India and Tanzania). Indonesia is now a key exporter of two seaweed species from which carrageenan, a thickener found in nut milks and meats, is extracted.
“There are many different types of seaweed, and they all require somewhat of a different environment in which to grow. The vast coasts of Africa and Asia, not all of it will be prime real estate,” Webb says. “But much of it will be.”
For seaweed farming to expand in these places, governments must take it seriously and create food safety regulations and an overall environment where it can happen, Webb says. Local and international investment interest will also be key. “If it doesn’t happen tomorrow, with the right conditions, it could happen the day after tomorrow,” Webb says.
Seaweed - a goldmine
It’s early days for seaweed production in LMICs, but Webb is confident about its promise for farmers. “The Ministry of Agriculture, or even the Ministry of Fisheries in these countries probably never discusses seaweed,” he says. “What if they did? They might discover a goldmine.”
The lead author received financial support from the United States Agency for International Development as part of the Feed the Future Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the United States Agency for International Development.
Coauthors are from Tufts and the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research.
